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Former Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner again reached the final 10 of Hall of Fame finalists, but for a second straight year he was not voted for the sport’s highest individual honor. The five modern day inductees were quarterback Brett Favre, tackle Orlando Pace, coach Tony Dungy, wide receiver Marvin Harrison and linebacker Kevin Greene. (Former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. was elected as a contributor and quarterback Ken Stabler and guard Dick Stanfel were put in through the seniors committee.)

Quarterback Carson Palmer did win the FedEx Air Player of the Year award, which was announced earlier Saturday, but the Cards didn’t capture anything during Saturday night’s NFL Honors ceremony. Palmer was second to Chiefs safety Eric Berry for Comeback Player of the Year (Berry came back after battling cancer in 2014). Palmer also got a vote for MVP, as did Tom Brady, although Cam Newton won the award by getting the other 48 votes. Former Cardinal Anquan Boldin, now with the 49ers, was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year.

At this point, it seems inevitable that Kurt Warner will get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It’s a matter of when, I’d guess, rather than if. Warner is in his second year as a finalist, and as the Hall of Fame itself notes, since 1970 85 percent of all players who are finalists eventually get in.

Will that be this year? That’s a lot more murky of a question. Of the 14 finalists accompanying Warner, only one — quarterback Brett Favre — seems to be a lock. The other potential four spots seem up for grabs. Steelers/Panthers Linebacker Kevin Greene is a finalist for a fifth time, but he’s a candidate who has definitely split the voters as a guy who deserves to be in. Colts Wide receiver Marvin Harrison is a finalist for a third time and he’s another guy who seems inevitable, although does he top first-time finalist Terrell Owens, the wide receiver best known for his years with the 49ers/Eagles/Cowboys? Could both go in and shrink the available spots? Rams tackle Orlando Pace is another guy who seems likely to get in sooner rather than later. The other finalists this year:

Again, if Warner doesn’t get in, he’s still likely to eventually. Interestingly, there has not been a quarterback inducted in a decade — and in 2006, there were two that went in, Troy Aikman and Warren Moon. The year before that, two QBs went in — Dan Marino and Steve Young. So getting both Warner and Favre in the same year wouldn’t be a shock.

Warner still has to battle that mid-part of his career, late with the Rams, the season with the Giants and his early Cardinals’ years, where his play wasn’t very Hall of Famey. But I saw those Cardinals’ years myself and that had less to do with the quarterback than the team construction itself. (Danny Green’s coaching staff cornucopia didn’t help either.) But every player who has won multiple MVPs is in the Hall, and Warner took two franchises to the Super Bowl that hadn’t sniffed such a thing in a long time. He’s Hall-worthy. The question is, is this the year?

The Hall of Fame class of 2016 will be determined the day before the Super Bowl, but Wednesday night, the potential class was trimmed to 15 people (up to five of them can be named to the Hall of Fame when it’s all said and done.) Of those 15, four have Cardinals ties.

One is the obvious: quarterback Kurt Warner, who was a finalist last year, and who built a resume in which his final three Cardinals seasons were key. He helped get Arizona to a Super Bowl and to their first two NFC West titles, and without that part of his career, he wouldn’t have been in the Hall of Fame discussion even with his fantastic yet short stint with the Rams.

Coach Don Coryell was the leader of the Cards’ good teams of the 1970s in St. Louis, the teams that set many of the records the current team has been breaking.

The other two put together their Hall bids before they got to Arizona, but still made a mark here. Guard Alan Faneca, in his first year of eligibility, was a star on the Steelers’ offensive line for years and possibly could have come to the Cards sooner than he did (he spent time with the Jets) if not for the Cards’ salary cap issues before the 2008 season (can you imagine Faneca at that point in his career helping the Super Bowl offensive line?) Faneca later played one season — his last — with the Cardinals in 2010.

Then there is running back Edgerrin James, who was the splashy free agent signing for the team as they moved into University of Phoenix Stadium and had a pair of 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the club. He was benched midway through the 2008 season, but the Cards turned back to him in the postseason and he provided a solid running game for the team that got to the Super Bowl (and he came back to the Cards’ game last weekend, turning the Big Red Siren pregame. That’s Edge below with ex-teammate Adrian Wilson.)

Warner is probably the best bet to get in this year, if any of them do. We’ll see in a month or so.

For those Cardinals fans making the trek to Cleveland this weekend to watch the Cards play the Browns, the nearby Pro Football Hall of Fame is offering a deal for you.

Any Cardinals fan dressed in team gear who mentions the Cardinals discount to the Hall of Fame’s guest services staff will receive a $5 discount on regular museum adult, senior or child admission prices. The promotion runs from Friday through Monday this weekend. The Hall of Fame is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., although it will extend its hours for Cardinals fans on Saturday until 8 p.m.

This is when you feel the legacy, on the day in which Adrian Wilson officially retires and when he talks about the guys who helped him when he got into the league, Pat Tillman comes up. It’s fitting this time of year, when the anniversary of Tillman’s death draws near. It’s easy to forget how important Tillman was to Wilson that one season they played together, in 2001.

“I didn’t know the first thing about the playbook,” Wilson said of his rookie season. “(Defensive coordinator) Larry Marmie’s playbook was so complicated, I couldn’t understand it. Pat sat me down for hours upon hours just going through the playbook just to go to practice the next day. It was that complicated for me. I owe big dividend to Pat.”

To think, Wilson was there to essentially replace Tillman.

(Wilson thanked other “old-time” Cardinals Corey Chavous, Kwamie Lassiter, Rob Fredrickson and Ron McKinnon for their help when he was starting out too.)

— When Wilson was released back in 2013, I covered a lot of the instant emotions and thoughts I had of his career in this post. But his retirement Monday brought some closure and, perhaps sooner rather than later, maybe bring Wilson back into the building on a consistent basis. He shrugged off his future right now, saying he wanted to “take my time on that.” He’s got four young kids. That’s his focus now, although there is little question GM Steve Keim likes having him in the mix. Team president Michael Bidwill noted that before the press conference, Wilson had his mock draft around, drawing a grin from Wilson.

“He’s made some improvements from his first mock that he showed me,” Keim said. “I think I sent him back to the film room.”

— Not only was Wilson’s family there, but his two buddies from North Carolina from when he was 10 years old, Adrian Mack and Anthony Johnson, were there Monday and it took me back to 2010 when Wilson invited me back to High Point to cover his high school retiring his jersey number and I was able to meet Mack and Johnson and do a big story on who Wilson really was as a person. Looking back on that article, through the prism of today, this quote stands out, about Wilson desperately wanting to leave a legacy.

“Nobody in my family has one and I’ll be the first,” Wilson said. “That’s something I think is more important to me than anything – leaving that right mark. I want to lay a foundation down where it doesn’t matter what generation you come from, you’ve got to respect what I did.”

— Bidwill will have Wilson go in the Ring of Honor, but that date is TBD. The schedule comes out tomorrow, and then the team must figure out what home games have which events, like Breast Cancer Awareness or Salute to Service, for example.

— Wilson admits he thinks about the Hall of Fame. I’ll have a separate post on that tomorrow, but it’s been tough sledding for safeties in Canton.

— There was a good group of former teammates on hand for Wilson today: Fitz, Patrick Peterson, Justin Bethel, Rashad Johnson, Calais Campbell, Bertrand Berry, Quentin Harris, Damien Anderson, Rolando Cantu. Peterson even took the mic during the press conference to deliver a statement in front of everyone. Wilson was an important part of this franchise. He still should be.

Kurt Warner was going to be here for the Super Bowl anyway, with his duties for the NFL Network. He was at U.S. Airways Center Tuesday for Media Day, answering questions from whomever might ask (including former Olympic gymnast/Inside Edition correspondent Shawn Johnson, who, like Warner, is a Dancing with the Stars alum. That’s the picture below.)

But the big day for Warner comes Saturday, when the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee whittles down the final group of 15 — within which Warner qualified — to the Class of 2015. It is Warner’s first year on the ballot.

“I’ve tried to just live life and not get too bogged down with this whole process,” the former Cardinals quarterback said. “I’m enjoying it. I’m honored to be in the final 15. As I’ve told people, whenever it gets to a cut, you start to realize how much more gravity it has to it. Right now, ‘Hey, I’m one of the 15. That’s crazy.’ Come Saturday, I’m sure we’re all going to feel the gravity of what the decision to get into the Hall of Fame means, what that looks like big picture to us.

“Right now, I’m so honored to be in the 15 with the great, talented players. So many players I’ve played against, people that I know that are great people, that I’m just honored to be in the class. We’ll let it play out.”

At this point, Warner’s spot in the Hall of Fame seems to be more a question of when, not if. It’s hard to make it to the final 15 the very first year you are on the ballot if you aren’t already considered a guy who is worthy. Maybe it will happen on his first chance, maybe not. It would certainly be a nice coincidence given that the Super Bowl and Hall announcement is in Arizona.

“My only hope is that, when it comes to Saturday and they call you or knock on your door, whatever, I just don’t want it to be any kind of a disappointment for anybody,” Warner said. “We all are honored to be in this class and be in the top 15, and I’m worried that if you don’t get that knock on your door, you walk out (disappointed). Hey, I’m one of the 265 best players to ever play this game, so to speak, and I’m pretty cool with that. I’m good with that. I want this to be a joyous time, and if I get in, what an amazing honor. It’ll be a great ride.”

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has whittled its potential 2015 class to 26 names, and included in there are a three major contributors to the Cardinals over the years. One is coach Don Coryell, who was the man in charge of the Cards’ teams of the mid-1970s that was successful enough that every time the current team hits a win plateau or streak, it seems to date back to one of Coryell’s squads. The other two are part of the Cards’ Super Bowl team: quarterback Kurt Warner, and running back Edgerrin James.

(Cowboys safety Darren Woodson, who went to high school at Phoenix Maryvale, is also part of the group.)

James is probably a long shot to advance to the group of 15 that will be considered when the Hall selection committee gets together in Phoenix on Super Bowl eve to eventually name no more than five to the Hall of Fame. Coryell has got a better chance, I’d think, given his offensive innovations, especially coaching the Chargers in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Then there is Warner, who given his resume, figures to get into the Hall at some point. It would be fitting if that was this year — Warner’s first year of eligibility — with the class being named in Arizona.

The main part of Hall of Fame weekend comes tonight, when the seven-man class is officially inducted here in Canton, when the men all give their (often emotional) speeches and the busts are unveiled. But Friday night was significant as well. The new enshrinees were given their new gold jackets during a ceremony, but that itself wasn’t what really got my attention.

Instead, it was the realization — granted, with the help of thunderous NFL Films music and the electricity of the crowd — that as every returning Hall of Famer was introduced, one by one, how the history of the NFL was suddenly playing out in one tangible moment. Former Cardinals cornerback Aeneas Williams, who is one of this year’s seven, said that the meaning of being put in the Hall of Fame is that “‘When they say the Hall of Fame, they’re saying they can’t tell the history of the NFL without including you.”

Of course, that’s the point of a Hall of Fame, to mark the history of, in this case, pro football. Still, to see the legends you grew up watching all in one place is special. A living, breathing textbook of the NFL. This is more than just a bust of a guy. It’s Aeneas Williams, at the end of his “gauntlet” walk through dozens of Hall of Famers, getting to the end and sharing an emotional hug and tears with one-time fierce rival Michael Irvin.

The Cardinals got a day off today from practice before doing two more workouts Friday and Saturday, which is the Fan Fest workout. After slamming into each other for three straight days, it’s good to get a reprieve. And to think, with practice just across town at University of Phoenix Stadium, it’s easy to pop home for the day. I know I appreciate it.

“It’s a little bit of everything,” running back Jonathan Dwyer said. “Get your mind away from football for a day. Guys who have family can spend time with their young ones, like myself. Just rest our bodies and come back to work the next day.”

— What stood out through the first five days of practice? WR John Brown, obviously. Confidence in CB Justin Bethel’s progress. Thinking that TE John Carlson, if he can stay off the injury report, could have a very nice year catching the ball. Kareem Martin is going to have a key role on the defensive line, I think. Michael Floyd is destined to improve on his season a year ago.

— I’m off to Canton tomorrow to cover the induction of cornerback Aeneas Williams into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday. I’ll still have stuff on the blog from both Canton and training camp, and my cohort Kyle Odegard will be the boots on the ground at University of Phoenix Stadium. He did a nice piece on Bobby Massie today. Speaking of Aeneas, I hope you’ve been checking out all the content on the special Aeneas Williams page (azcardinals.com/aeneas). I’ll have a big story on Williams posted tomorrow first thing.

Aeneas Williams will kick off the 2014 season for the Cardinals, in a manner of speaking, when he is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as training camps are just getting underway. Maybe the Cards will have a Hall of Fame connection as the season is wrapping up, and the NFL prepares to play the Super Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. That’s when Kurt Warner will be on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time.

If Williams is the best draft pick the organization has made since the franchise moved to Arizona, then it’s probably safe to say Warner was the best free-agent signing. His time with the Cardinals had an interesting arc, from veteran stop-gap to placeholder for Matt Leinart to franchise QB, all in the span of five seasons. As weird as it was, Warner wouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame discussion without his Arizona rebirth. His major personal success (his Super Bowl win and two MVPs) came with the Rams, but he arguably had his greatest accomplishments leading the Cards.

(He definitely played more games in Arizona. He finished with 61 games as a Card, compared to 53 as a Ram and 10 as a Giant.)

So, with the fifth season about to start since Warner retired, the potential Hall of Fame call comes for the first time after the season. Warner, having watched one-time teammate Williams get in, admits he already thought about that possibility.

“It’s hard not to think about it because people always want to ask you about it,” Warner said. “But I try to be realistic. One of the things with athletes, we’re not very realistic with situations. We always think we are the best. But I am realistic with the route it took me to get here and maybe some of the strikes against me, that maybe I didn’t play as certain people or had some bumps in the road. I don’t know if (the Hall of Fame) is going to happen. I don’t know what really determines it. But the great thing is, I am so completely content with what I accomplished on the football field.

“I did some things no one has ever done before. I think I played at a Hall of Fame level, at least for a period of time. Does that constitute me being put in the Hall of Fame? I have no idea. I just know I put in the work, and now it’s up to somebody else to wade through and figure out what belongs there. Obviously, from the time you are little, you want to make your mark in whatever you do. For me, it was the National Football League. To finally be here, and to have a lot of people think you will finally get there, you can’t help but think about it and how special it would be.”